Sydney-Rabaul

Air Service

New Lockheed in Commission

ON Friday, May 30, the new Lockheed 14 airliner, recently purchased by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd., arrived in Rabaul, thus completing its first trip of WRC Airlines between Syd ney and Rabaul.

It was in charge of Captain O. Mant, superintendent of WRC Airlines, and it gave a most satisfactory performance on its first trip. It is capable of carry ing 12 passengers and 1,500 lb. of freight.

The design is similar to that of the Lockheed Electra —it is twin engined, and low-winged, with retractable landing gear—but it is twice the size of the Elec tra type. It has a wing-span of 65i ft., and a length of 44 ft., 4 in.

As a result of the introduction of this fast and large airliner, WRC Airlines have reverted to the old timetable under which the plane leaves Sydney on Thurs day mornings and flies to Rabaul, and returns to Sydney within the week. The new timetable has been drawn up on the assumption that the Lockheed will give 170 miles per hour from block to block, but actually, on her first trip, she aver aged well over that figure. The average on the first southwards trip was just over 200 miles per hour, and on one lengthy stage, over Queensland, she averaged nearly 230 miles per hour.

WRC Airlines report that the passen ger traffic is not heavy—it can be taken care of comfortably with the present timetable. The DH 86, with which the service was carried on until the intro duction of the new Lockheed, is now in reserve. - -